


Check Out

by raidelle



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Promnis, Gladnyx, Implied Sexual Content, Libraries, M/M, Mild Language, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 07:49:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19741333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raidelle/pseuds/raidelle
Summary: Gladio and Nyx are participating in a social media campaign to help the Insomnian Public Library attract more readers.A photo/video competition ensues, much to the delight of the Insomnians. Who doesn't want to ogle these two gorgeous men, anyway?





	Check Out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aliatori](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliatori/gifts).



> A gift for the wonderful aliatori, who in all honesty is the reason why I started loving this pairing.
> 
> Enjoy!

"OH MY GODS, GLADDY! LOOK AT THIS!"

Iris bursts into Gladio's room and practically shoves her phone into his face. The brightness of the screen, a sharp contrast to the pages of his new book, makes him reel and Gladio promptly bumps his head on the headboard.

"Wow, Mooglet. Rude," Gladio mutters. He swats Iris's hand away, puts a pillow behind his head, and shifts into a more comfortable position in the center of his bed to resume reading.

"Look. At. This!” Iris insists. She climbs up Gladio's bed and bounces up and down on her knees as she waves her phone under his nose.

Gladio groans and swats at Iris again. "If it's not an emergency or something bad involving Noct, Mooglet, it can wait." He's been looking forward to reading this latest addition to his favorite author's adventure-fantasy-romance series, and not even his sister's sometimes-annoying persistence will make him put it down tonight.

"Okay, fine," Iris concedes with a huff. She flops onto her back by Gladio's feet and starts fiddling with her phone. "It's not either of those things. It's just your boyfriend one-upping you on Eosgram for that Insomnian Public Library 'Read With Me’ social media --"

"Son of a --" Gladio puts down his book and grabs his phone off the side table.

Iris rolls over onto her stomach, her legs up and swinging in the air merrily. "Oh look, he posted it on Tweetbook, too! And it's _trending!_ "

Gladio's staring so hard at his own phone, as if trying to figure out whether he likes or hates what he's seeing. It's a photo of Nyx, standing at the head librarian's desk of the Insomnian Public Library. He's practically bent over, arms braced on the polished wooden surface, hands clasped loose. He's staring straight at the camera with that Astrals-damned smirk, wearing a blue-gray button-up with sleeves rolled to his elbows and top two buttons undone. For the final touch, Nyx put in a simple caption: _Come #ReadWithMe at the #InsomnianPublicLibrary._

He likes it, Gladio decides. Nyx looks fuckin' beautiful in the photo. He also hates it, Gladio decides, because he can't believe Nyx got started before him. He's been so eager to work with the Insomnian Public Library to encourage more people to come and discover and read more books. He even has a list of themes and a detailed content calendar for his uploads! The library has always been a special place for Gladio and he feels disgruntled that Nyx got a headstart on this project that's so close to his heart.

Another thing: his ego has also suffered a huge blow. Both he and Nyx have competitive streaks a mile wide, and now Gladio's is stoked. Iris, wily girl that she is, fans the flames further by reading the comments out loud. "Ooh, ooh, Gladdy, listen to this. 'OMG, yes sir, I'm gonna go read with you.'" She cackles and gives him a sly look as she does, knowing full well the effects of what she's doing.

Gladio lets out a sharp breath through his nostrils. He takes a screenshot of Nyx's post, pulls up his Eos Messenger, and sends the photo to Nyx with two words: _You're on._  


* * *

  
Nyx whips his shirt off and wipes his brow with it, casual as you please. "Nice work, Ignis. That dagger throw was fucking lethal," he says. He gives his chest and arms the same treatment and the new Crownsguard recruits, young men and women both, titter and sigh.

Ignis snorts. "Gods, I don't know how Gladiolus puts up with your preening."

"Hmm, what?" Nyx says a little too innocently.

Prompto, who's supervising the target shooting drills in Monica's absence, clears his throat pointedly. "Do you mind, Ulric?"

"You know he does, love. We're leaving now," Ignis says. He kisses Prompto's cheek, making the blonde blush and splutter, then shepherds Nyx toward the locker rooms.

It's Nyx's turn to snort. "Marking your territory, huh?"

"I don't know what you mean," Ignis says in a dignified voice.

"Hey, if I was preening then you were definitely passive-aggressively saying 'hands off.'" Nyx teases.

Ignis hums noncommittally, though his lips are twitching in his effort not to smile. "Same time tomorrow?" He says instead. "I want to work on my left-handed throw next."

"Yeah, sure," Nyx says absently as he opens his locker. He withdraws his phone first, which starts to ping with successive alerts. "Shit, sorry, lemme check first. This might be Drautos updating the Glaive calendar again without… Astrals FUCKING DAMN IT, AMICITIA!"

Ignis looks at him in concern, which Nyx suspects isn't wholly genuine. "Something wrong?"

"Don't you make that face at me, Ignis! You're part of this, I'm sure."

"I beg your pardon?"

In answer, Nyx shoves his phone at Ignis. "Ah," the strategist says when he sees what's on the screen.

"'Ah,' he says," Nyx mutters mutinously. "I thought you were my friend."

"I am. But Gladiolus is my best friend, isn't he?" Ignis replies with a shrug, before heading to one of the shower stalls.

Nyx doesn't deign to reply. He just looks back at the picture on his phone and thinks, _Fucking shit, G. You gorgeous competitive bastard._ He's pretty sure this is revenge for getting the jump on him for the Insomnian Public Library campaign. When the head librarian approached the Guard and the Glaive for their help -- "We need to show them that reading books is something that _everybody_ should be doing. I believe the hardworking, good-looking Crownsguard and Kingsglaive would be more than convincing!" -- he immediately knew Gladio would be signing up. Gladio's the biggest bookworm he knows, literally and figuratively.

So, obviously, Nyx also signed up to show his support. He isn't that much of a reader, but he'd seen how big of an impact books have made on Gladio's life. He also signed up because he couldn't very well leave the Glaive underrepresented in what's essentially a competition to make sure the library got not just readers but also sponsors. 

With this photo, though, Nyx thinks the Kingsglaive (actually, just him) have a lot of catching up to do. The non-stop _ding-ding-ding_ of his phone seems to agree. In the photo, Gladio's sitting on the floor of the Sci-Fi section of the library and leaning casually, almost lazily, against one of the shelves. He's wearing dark jeans and a gray Crownsguard tank top, which is nothing out of the ordinary. He has his glasses on, though, which not many people know about or see often and which has now gathered many adoring comments. ( _oh no, gladiolus amicitia wears glasses?????? *melts*_ ) Propped open on his lap is a book, held loosely on his right hand. ( _I'll go to the library and read a new book every day if I could sit on his lap even just once!!!!! #please #ReadWithMe_ )

What makes it fucking unfair, though, is the look he's giving the camera. It's a look Nyx knows well: a simmering smolder over the tops of his glasses that makes his eyes look like they're on fire. It always, always gets Nyx's blood boiling and rushing south, and Gladio's playing it up _really_ well. His caption is even worse. _I'll be waiting for you at the #InsomnianPublicLibrary. I found a new book and I want you to #ReadWithMe. <3_

Furious (and also quite aroused), Nyx texts his boyfriend. _A heart, G? Really?_

Gladio replies with a photo of Nyx's living room overlaid with the words "I'll be waiting."

Nyx forgoes his shower, throws his stuff haphazardly into his bag, and rushes out of the locker room with a terse, "See you tomorrow, Iggy."

He doesn't hear Ignis's answering chuckle.  


* * *

  
From there, it became a back-and-forth of carefully planned photos and videos meant as much to rile the other as to convince Lucians to read more.

Nyx handing a book toward the camera with a wink and a cheeky grin, slowed down at the right moment to catch the flutter of his lashes and the glint of his teeth.

Gladio, wearing a wide-open button-up, sitting on a plush red loveseat surrounded by books. One hand is flat on the cushion beside him as if patting the waiting space, staring at the camera as if to say, "Why aren't you here with me yet?”

Nyx, shirtless and in low-slung leather pants, carrying a tall stack of books. He glistens with sweat, carefully highlighting the cuts of his biceps. The caption reads, "I'm checking these out. Can I check you out, too, so you can #ReadWithMe?"

Gladio, also shirtless and in low-slung leather pants, arms crossed in front of his impressive chest. He's biting a piece of paper stamped with a single word in red ink. The caption reads, "Your visit to the #InsomnianPublicLibrary is overdue. Come and #ReadWithMe."

"Shiva's tits, the public is loving this!" Prompto erupts with a laugh as he scrolls idly through his social media feed. They're spending the afternoon at Noct's apartment, as per their tradition every Friday, though Gladio is markedly absent.

Noct lets out a gagging noise. "If I ever see another comment about Gladio's chest again, I'm gonna puke."

"Well, it's a pretty impressive chest," Prompto reasons in a 'what can you do?' tone. It earns him a cough and playfully raised eyebrows from Ignis. "Love ya, babe," Prompto says with a wink and a flying kiss.

"Seriously, though," Noct says in a more earnest tone. "I bet Miss Charta's over the moon with the results. I hear they're up 83 percent in readership based on the number of books borrowed. Foot traffic increased, too."

Ignis hums appreciatively from the kitchen counter. "I'm pleased to know you're paying attention in council meetings, Noct."

"Do I get a reward, then? No veggies tonight?"

Ignis tuts. "Vegetables are good for you, Noct, haven't you _read_?"

Noct groans in disgust. "Ugh, you're so bad," he says as Prompto laughs in the background.  


* * *

  
Nyx clicks the "Post" button with a flourish, the trackpad of his laptop making a satisfying click.

"There! Now let me see you top that, Amicitia," he says, smug. He flips the laptop closed then turns to face his bed where Gladio lounges, naked and waiting.

"Come here and I'll show you."

**Author's Note:**

> Holler at me on
> 
> Tumblr: @raidelle  
> Discord: raidelle#3573


End file.
